Method of handling hosiery



March 17, 1970 R. B. JONES ETAL METHOD OF HANDLING HOSIERY RALPH B. JONES W1 7W; 7

ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 THURMAN B. OAKLEY J M FIG.4

Filed April 11, 1966 March 17, 1970 B, JONES ETAL 3,500,779

METHOD OF HANDLING HOSIERY Filed April 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 THURMAN B. OAKLEY RALPH B. JONES BY TW/ 3,500,779 METHOD OF HANDLING HOSIERY Ralph Bernard Jones, Greensboro, and Thurman B.

Oakley, Burlington, N.C., assignors to Textile Metals & Plastics, Inc., Greensboro, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 541,698

Int. Cl. Db 39/00; A41n 43/00 US. Cl. 112-12115 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The method of handling hosiery and more particularly to an improved arrangement for everting, inspecting and toe-seaming of seamless hosiery comprising a unitary everting and inspecting board, subsequently referred to as a combination board, a spatially related seaming device, and a pneumatic or pneumatic like conduit system com municating with a collecting system and with a stacking enclosure.

The everting, inspecting, collecting, stacking, and seaming of ladies hosiery were originally regarded as separate and discrete operations or steps in the handling of hosiery, each usually requiring a separate location or station and operator. Subsequent improvements in the art of hosiery handling combined the separate operation of collecting, everting, inspecting, and stacking of hosiery into a more singular process which utilized more economically the labor of a single operator, who could now perform the above mentioned operations from a single station.

Prior to this invention, seaming of the toe-end of hosiery was considered a separate and discrete operation, and has not been incorporated into the above mentioned combination of steps whereby hosiery was collected from a plurality of machines, everted, inspected, and stacked by a single operator. As a consequence, the toe-end seaming operation remained unbenefited by the economies of material, space, and labor effected by the combination so formed.

According to this invention, it is advantageous to incorporate into the abovementioned combination of steps the separate operation of toe-end seaming, such improved arrangement effecting a still lower material, space and labor cost hitherto unrealized. With the improved arrangements so described, a single operator is enabled to perform the separate operations of collecting, evertin inspecting, toe-end seaming, and stacking of hosiery at a single station with a maximum economy of movement and effort.

It is therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for the method of manufacturing of ladies hosiery which incorporates into the combination of collecting, everting, inspecting, and stacking at a single station the operation of toe-end seaming, combining said separate operations into an improved singular process, thus effecting lower material, space and labor costs.

The practice of the invention is facilitated by the provision of a unitary combination board so formed as to provide a maximum surface upon which hose can be donned and viewed facilitating inspection, and requiring a minimum amount of turning or positioning of the hose for its purview.

Another object of this invention is the provision for the means of incorporating into the manufacturing of hosiery a spatially related seaming device which in conjunction with a unitary combination board eliminates the necessity for removal of hose from the said combination board prior to the toe-end seaming of said hose, thus ef- United States Patent 0 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 "ice fecting a reduction in the number of steps attendant to the handling and manufacturing of hosiery.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated. other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the means for collecting, everting, inspecting, toe-end seaming, and stacking of hosiery;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 but with the stocking removed from the combination board;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the combination board shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the combination board shown in FIGURE 2 showing a step in the process of everting a stocking;

FIGURE 6 is an inverted perspective view of the combination board shown in FIGURE 5 but with the hose almost completely donned and everted;

FIGURE 7 shows a fragmentary side view of the combination board with the hose toe-end partially withdrawn and inserted into the seamer;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the combination board as shown in FIGURE 2 but with the toe-end of the donned hose stuffed into the suction cavity preparatory to its being withdrawn from the board and into its rightside-out condition;

FIGURE 9 is a partial perspective view of the com bination board and hose as shown in FIGURE 8 but with the hose drawn further into the suction cavity than is shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a stacking arrangement comprising a cabinet with parts broken away to illustrate the stacking of successive stockings.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, an embodi ment of means for practicing the invention is shown in FIGURE 1. The present invention here presented may be generally characterized as comprising a stacking enclosure from which is supported a combination board onto which hosiery may be stretched. By virtue of its internal cavity, suction may be applied longitudinally to withdraw the hose therethrough in everted condition after inspection and seaming, the hose continuing its travel through a connected conduit into the stacking enclosure. Associated with the inspection board is a reflection apparatus located forward and at a lower elevation in reference to the combination board. Located oppositely to the free end of the combination board is a toe-end seaming device or sewing machine fixed to a supporting table or stand. In front of the supporting table is located a collecting container directly over which is the discharge of a collection conduit through which are transported hosiery collected from a plurality of knitting machines.

Referring to FIGURE 1, an embodiment of means for practicing of the invention is shown comprising a cabinetlike stacking enclosure 11 having end walls 12 and 13, a rear wall 14 and front wall 15, said front wall including a door 16. A numerical counter 17 is associated with the cabinet 11.

As most clearly seen in FIGURE 2, a support arm 18 is afiixed at its lower end to cabinet 11, the upper end of support arm 18 being non-communicatively connected to a conduit-coupler 19. The arm 18 provides support for a combination inspection and everting board 22 and does not communicate with the stacking conduit system, of which the conduit-coupler 19 forms a part. The stacking conduit system includes a short length of conduit 20 comalso includes a conduit 24 communicating, as shown in.

FIGURES 1 and 10, with the interior of cabinet-11 and connected to a suction source to maintain a negative pressure Within cabinet 11.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the combination board 22 provided in conjunction with the foregoing arrangement is essentially of unitary construction and of appropriate configuration to receive thereover hosiery in stretched condition for inspection. The cavity 28 in the board 22 communicates with the free end 27 of the board so that upon the application of suction through the cavity 28 thereof, a stocking may be withdrawn from the board and everted as it passes toe-end first into and through the cavity 28 (FIGURES 8 and 9).

The shape of the combination board 22 varies in thickness from the widermost end 29 thereof to the narrower free end 27. As best seen in FIGURES 2 through 4, a pair of laterally spaced ribs 30, 30 depend from the under side of the board 22 and extend along the board 22 from its free end 27 to provide the required thickness to the free end 27 of the combination board 22 to define an everting or pass-through channel 22 formed by the inside vertical surfaces 30' of the ribs 30, 30 together with the underside surface of combination board 22, as best seen in FIGURE 3.

Associated with the inspection function of combination board 22, is a reflection apparatus 31 shown in FIG- URE 1 forward and essentially below the combination board 22 consisting of a mirror 32, backing board 33, supporting stand 34, and an illuminating means 35, said apparatus facilitating the illumination and viewing of the underside of the board 22 to inspect a stocking.

Also associated with the inspection procedure and functionally related to it is toe-end seaming, provision for which includes a sewing machine 36, associated sewing instrumentalities 37, and a support table or stand 38. It is important to the practice of the invention that the sewing machine be proximate to and preferably essentially aligned with the free end 27 of the board 22 as seen in FIGURES 1 and 7.

Comprised, finally, in the illustrated embodiment of means for practicing the invention is the provision of means for collecting of hosiery from a plurality of knitting machines and delivering them to the operators station. Referring to FIGURE 1, freshly knitted stockings 39 are transported within and along a conduit 40 which turns downward from its overhead path and empties into a collection container 41 conveniently located for access by the operator.

In the practice of the invention according to the illustrated embodiment, an operator is supplied through conduit 40 with uninspected and open-toed or unseamed hosiery 39 which have been knitted right-side out in a conventional manner on knitting machines (not shown). A stocking 39 is then positioned by the operator between the legs 30, 30 of channel 22' with the welt-end W adjacent the free end 27 of board 22. The welt-end W is then everted over the free end 27 of board 22 as shown in FIGURE 5. The right-side-out or uneverted toe portion T of hose 39 is there shown free hanging and the leg portion of the stocking is being drawn through the channel 22. As the hose 39 is drawn further onto the board 22, the toe portion T of hose 39 is drawn through the channel 22' (FIGURE 6) until the hose is completely drawn onto the board 22 and everted as indicated at 39' for inspection and toe-end seaming.

After inspecting, the operator performs the toe-end seaming by drawing the toe portion T slightly off the board 22, closing the toe and presenting the closed toe to the sewing instrumentalities 37 of sewing machine 36 (FIGURE 7). The sewing instrumentalities 37 are proximate to the free end 27 of board 22 so that the welt W and most of the leg portion of the stocking remain on the board in everted condition while the toe is seamed. After the toe T is seamed, the operator returns the toe T to the free end 27 of the board 22 as shown in FIGURE 8, and inserts the toe T into the suction cavity 28. Concurrently with insertion of the toe T into suction conduit 28 the operator, with a realtively slight push in the direction of the free end 27 of the board 22 (FIGURE 8) may assist the inverted hose 39 in being drawn into and through suction conduit 28 as illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9. After the hose is completely drawn off the combination board 22 and into the suction cavity 28, the hose is in its original right-side-out of uneverted conditions 39 whereupon it is drawn through (see FIGURE 10) the previously described collecting system which terminates within the stacking enclosure or cabinet 11. There are a number of stacking arrangements available to the industry, any of which may be successfully used with the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the cabinet 11 is provided with a negative pressure by suction source 25 and conduit 24 whereby successive hose may be stacked in a manner more fully described in U.S. Patent No. 3,131,- 839. A counter 17 is provided which records the number of finished pieces entering cabinet 11.

Thus, it will be seen that there is provided an improved method of handling hosiery which incorporates into the combination of collecting, everting, inspecting and stacking at a'single station the operation of toe-end seaming with consequent savings.

In the drawings and specifications, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only.

We claim:

1. A method of sequentially inspecting and seaming the toe portion of seamless hosiery after knitting comprising the steps of:

(e) collecting the hosiery from knitting machines following knitting and delivering them to an inspection station;

(b) positioning an entire stocking for inspection in stretched condition by drawing said stocking weltfirst onto an inspection board, with the open toe-end portion of the stocking on the board and adjacent the free end thereof,

(c) inspecting each stocking while it is on the inspection board,

(d) partially removing said stocking from the inspection board to position the toe-end portion outwardly from the free end of the inspection board,

(e) sewing the toe portion while the body of the stocking remains on the inspection board,

(f) everting the stocking while removing it from the inspection board, and

(g) maintaining the longitudinal axis of the inspection board in fixed horizontal alignment with said sewing machine during steps (b) through (f).

2. A method of processing a seamless stocking according to claim 1 which includes the step of everting the stocking as it is drawn onto the board.

3. A method of processing seamless hosiery according to claim 1 which includes the further step of stacking successive hose as they are removed from the inspection board.

4. Apparatus for sequentially inspecting and seaming stockings at an inspection station comprising an inspection board having a longitudinal axis and a free end over which successive stockings may be drawn and removed following inspection, said board further being large enough and of such configuration as to receive thereover hosiery in stretched condition for inspection, and a sewing machine spaced outwardly from the free end of the inspection board a distance which permits the mounting of a stocking on said board, yet which is adapted to be less than the length of a stocking, said sewing machine being in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said inspection board, whereby the toe of the stocking may be drawn ofl the board and seamed while the welt of the stocking is on the board, wherein said inspection board includes means for everting the stockings as they are drawn on the board and means for everting the stockings as they are removed from the board following sewing of the toe, said board being always positioned in fixed relation to said sewing machine.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein means are provided for delivering stockings from knitting machines to the inspection board and means are provided for stack- 15 ing the stockings after they are removed from the board.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

